Cassie,
I have seen many therapists. It took me a while to find the right one for me. I feel that they care about my problems. There were many times they reassured me when I felt I was at the end of my rope. I am certainly glad that you spoke to you mother about your pain. It took a lot of strength and courage to do what you did! Give yourself a pat on the back.
I can only suggest from my experience that you should seek a therapist that uses Rational Emotive Therapy or Cognitive Therapy. In the psychological literature, these types of therapies have been found to be effective for treating many different phobias (social phobia included).
One of the advantages of going to a therapist is that, first, the therapist works for you. You pay the therapist to listen to your story and for their advice. For me, when I talked to my therapist, I felt better...soon, I looked forward to going each week. I really felt my therapist understood and cared for me. (If you don't feel that with a therapist, leave and go to another one. Remember, you are paying for it. The therapist is working for you.) It made my week seem tolerable: I knew someone cared about how my week went and would patiently listen to me complain.
Second, the information that you share with the therapist will not be divulged to anyone else. No one will know what you will say. It is like having you own personal diary. You get to share and not hold back.
Third, it has been said in so many posts that family just doesn't understand. They mean well and try to look out for you but they really don't undersand what depression or anxiety is. It really is hard for them to understand, if they have not lived it. I know my family truely and genuinely loves me but they don't understand me. Therapist listen and try to understand what I experience.
I can only say from my experience that going to a therapist was a good thing. It was frightening in the begining but I really got a lot out of it.
I hope other people will comment on your post! I know a lot of the people on this website do go to therapy too.
Take care!
